An explosion at the Balzi Rossi dining room in central Moscow killed three people and wounded 20 others on Saturday evening, according to reports. The venue was hosting a birthday party for Russian General Aleksandr Chayko, commander of the country's aerospace forces, and reportedly had many other military officers present.
An explosion at the Balzi Rossi dining room in central Moscow on Saturday evening killed three people and wounded 20, according to reports. The venue was hosting a birthday party for Russian General Aleksandr Chayko, commander of the aerospace forces, and reportedly had many other military officers present. This update follows earlier reports that several senior officers were at the restaurant at the time of the blast.
The Zioneer first reported the explosion at 20:42 Jerusalem time, citing initial reports of at least three killed and 21 wounded, with 17 in serious condition, and the cause unknown. Minutes later, subsequent reports indicated the restaurant was closed for a private event and that a gas cylinder likely caused the blast. Shortly after, unverified reports emerged that several senior officers were present at the restaurant. The current update confirms the presence of General Chayko and other officers, and revises the wounded count to 20.
The incident comes amid a broader pattern of attacks on Russian military targets inside Russia, as The Zioneer has reported. Earlier this year, a car bombing near Moscow killed Major General Damir Davydov, head of the artillery and missile division at the Russian Defense Ministry. The Zioneer has also reported on Ukrainian drone and missile attacks on Moscow and the Moscow region, including strikes on logistics centers and oil facilities. It remains unclear whether the restaurant explosion is connected to the ongoing conflict.
The cause of the explosion remains unconfirmed, with initial reports attributing it to a gas cylinder but no official statement from Russian authorities. Whether the military officers were specifically targeted is also unclear. The discrepancy in the wounded count—21 in initial reports, 20 in the latest—has not been explained.
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